In an all-Hawaiian, high-scoring 30-minute final, ASP World Tour surfer Sullivan took home his fourth Xcel Pro title, having previously won the event in 1998, 2000, and 2003.

Sullivan dominated from the start, hitting a contest-high 9.77 that put him firmly in the driver’s seat over fellow finalists Kamalei Alexander (2nd), Danny Fuller (3rd), and Makua Rothman (4th).

“Epic,” “pristine,” and “all-time” were just a few ways used to describe the glassy morning conditions, as a new northwest swell came in overnight and brought clean, corduroy lines to Sunset Beach. Sets were firing from the very first scored wave by Marco Giorgi (Uraguay), who lined up a barrel less than 3 minutes into his heat.

The long period swell stayed clean through the finals, challenging riders to stay in position off Sunset Point for optimal set wave selection.

“I held back and paddled a little deeper,” Sullivan said after the winner’s ceremony on the beach, on his strategy to move outside of Sunset’s west peak. “The third [9.77] wave of the set really helped me build momentum,” as he soon built upon his lead with another crowd-pleasing 8.67.

Runner-up Kamalei Alexander of Kauai, needing a 9.45 to overtake Sullivan in first, wasn’t able to catch the four-time Xcel Pro champion, taking off on an 8.70 in the final seconds of the heat.

“It was a fun, amazing final,” Sullivan noted. “The best final ever here, and such an honor to win the 25th anniversary Xcel Pro.”

The win surely vindicated Sullivan’s decision to bypass the World Tour’s Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil, and instead focus on competing at his local break. Raised (in his words) “surfing the reform” at Sunset Beach, Sullivan prepared for his Xcel Pro win with smart training on his home turf.

Sullivan has announced his plans to retire from the prestigious World Tour at the end of this 2008 season.

2007 Xcel Pro defending champion Joel Centeio’s quest for a repeat title ended in the quarterfinals, falling to Makua Rothman, who made his third Xcel Pro finals appearance in as many years.

With the 2008 Xcel Pro a wrap, the North Shore now heads into the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

About the Xcel Pro
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the 2008 Xcel Pro Presented by Honolua is a 4-Star ASP WQS event with a $80,000 purse, drawing pros and amateurs alike to world-class Sunset Beach along the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.

Honolua Surf Co. is the presenting sponsor of the 2008 event. Specializing in surf apparel, Honolua Surf Co. celebrates the lifestyle of watermen and women, and has retail stores throughout Oahu and the Hawaiian islands.

Joining Honolua are associate sponsors Kustom Footwear, VonZipper eyewear and accessories, and Fuel TV. Fuel TV, the only cable network celebrating the lifestyle and culture of action sports, will produce the official Xcel Pro television special airing exclusively on their network (www.fuel.tv) on Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 8:00 PM ET/PT during the Surf Spot.

Surfing Live produces this year’s Webcast, streaming live action and results to viewers around the world. Vitamin Water and Surf News Network, Oahu’s local surf forecasting service and the official contest hotline at 808-596-SURF, also support the event.

About Xcel
Founded in 1982, Xcel International, Inc. (Xcel) is a global wetsuit brand distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim. Headquartered on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, Xcel’s core wetsuit business focuses on the cutting edge of material and design development. Xcel’s primary markets include surf, dive, wakeboard, paddle, and sun (UV Performance Gear).

In addition to its North Shore office, Xcel has retail stores on Oahu, Maui, and Kauai, and a warehouse/repair facility in California.